Published on January 6, 2026 2:58 pm
Last Updated on January 6, 2026 2:58 pm
Effingham County’s Economic Development Advisory Board met Tuesday with the proponents of a combination cafe and event room.
Myra Qureshi and Emily Abendroth are putting together Maro and Emmy’s Play Cafe. The business name borrows from the childhood nicknames of the two women, and would be located at 711 West Jefferson Avenue.
Plans for the business are still being finalized, but there would be a play area for children and drinks and snacks for adults. There would be a child’s admission charge, but no admission charge for the adults. A portion of the proceeds is to go to missions.
Nothing concrete was determined during Tuesday’s meeting as far as funds to be loaned to the entrepreneurs. The Advisory Board currently has $4,400 on hand, but additional funding should be available when the project is revisited next month. The balance of the $99,000 available to the Board is loaned out to other business developers.
There was also discussion of funding to the Montrose Fire Protection District. Montrose has a new fire engine on the way in the next several weeks, but does not have a building large enough to accommodate the truck. The district has about $200,000 on hand for a building, but needs another $450,000 to finish the project.
